AUS: Ideal springboard into V8 Supercars

With the significant growth in the V8 Supercar Championship
Series in recent years, the number of young aspirants to
become V8 stars of the future has also taken a quantum leap.
To become one of the 36 V8 Supercar drivers on the grid takes
years...

With the significant growth in the V8 Supercar Championship
Series in recent years, the number of young aspirants to
become V8 stars of the future has also taken a quantum leap.

To become one of the 36 V8 Supercar drivers on the grid takes
years of practice, testing, honing skills, education,
commitment and determination. That is why there needs to be a
path available for young or rookie drivers to follow, on the
journey to become an elite V8 Supercar star.

Now in its second season, the Australian Carrera Cup provides
an ideal springboard for young drivers into the V8 Supercars.
Despite its infancy as a category in Australia, the Carrera
Cup has already provided this springboard both in 2003 and
this year.

Porsche young guns Alex Davison, Fabian Coulthard and Matt
Halliday have all been confirmed as endurance drivers in the
V8 Supercar rounds at Sandown and Bathurst this year, joining
the inaugural Carrera Cup champion and one of the sport's
all-time greats Jim Richards.

Last year's Carrera Cup Rookie of the Year Marcus Marshall
raced in both V8 endurance rounds last year, while fellow
Porsche driver Tim Leahey also stepped up to race in a V8
Supercar at Bathurst.

An added attraction for the V8 Supercar 'drivers of
tomorrow', is that the Australian Carrera Cup is the primary
support category to the V8 Supercar Championship Series, with
all nine championship rounds in 2004 staged at official V8
Supercar rounds.

"This provides an opportunity for V8 Supercar aspirants to
show their wares on the track in front of V8 aficionados and
team talent scouts," said Carrera Cup CEO Jamey Blaikie.

"The Carrera Cup gives drivers an opportunity to race at a
similar speed to the V8 Supercar, in fields with large
numbers, with other highly competitive drivers, on the same
circuits as the V8s, and facing similar technical and
mechanical issues. So as preparation for V8 Supercars, the
Carrera Cup is ideal.

"Also dispelling a myth, the Carrera Cup is actually more
cost-effective for young drivers as a V8 Supercar stepping
stone than other categories that provide similar
opportunities."

As a guide, a driver has an opportunity to lease a drive in a
Carrera Cup round for between $15,000 and $30,000.

"This represents great value for drivers and their sponsors,
with a practice and qualifying session and three races. The
experience and exposure through on track and Network Ten's
Trackside coverage makes the Carrera Cup an ideal stepping
stone for young drivers."

At the Betta Electrical Sandown 500 and Bob Jane T-Marts
1000, Davison, Richards, Coulthard and Halliday will drive in
both the Carrera Cup and V8 Supercars.

Davison and Richards will jump out of their Porsche GT3 911
Cup cars into the V8 Supercars of Castrol Perkins Motorsport,
Coulthard will partner Jason Richards in the Tasman
Motorsport Commodore, while Halliday joins Ford's Orrcon
Racing outfit.

Twenty-one-year-old Coulthard has already raced in a V8
Supercar this season with Tasman Motorsport giving the
Melbourne-based Kiwi a licence to gain experience at the
recent round at Oran Park.

Coulthard did not disappoint with the team regarding his
debut as strong and mature. He finished 29th in race one
after a tyre puncture and minor brake lock-up sent him back
through the field, but he recovered well to place a very
credible 19th in race two.

"You're always thinking you're racing to win, but this
weekend I had to put that to the back of my mind and just
cram in as much as I could about the way these cars work,"
said Coulthard.

"They don't have ABS like the Porsches do, and that's a
big adjustment to start with. I'm very much looking forward
to the enduros - I think Jason and I can form a pretty strong
combination if current form is any indication."

Like many others around him, Coulthard is an advocate of the
Carrera Cup as a springboard for young drivers into V8
Supercars.

"The Carrera Cup has helped me in so many areas this year.
It is hard to define just a few, but I would say it has been
extremely beneficial in on-track calculations. For example,
the braking markers in Carrera Cup are very similar to the V8
Supercars.

"Driving a Porsche in the Carrera Cup teaches you to be very
precise and always on top of your game. There is little room
for error, and after driving a V8 Supercar, I understand how
important that lesson has been -- the V8s require pinpoint
accuracy in all departments."

The next round of the Australian Carrera Cup and V8 Supercar
Championship Series is at the Betta Electrical Sandown 500
from September 10 to 12.

The Carrera Cup is the most successful 'one make'
championship in the world with close-to-identical Porsche 911
GT3 Cup cars built by Porsche' racing arm in Weissach,
Germany set for racing in 2004. All cars have a top speed in
excess of 300 kilometres per hour with a 400-horsepower, 6
cylinder Boxer engine which revs to 8000 RPM.